The motorcade of the Asian-European Tour from China to France, which set off from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on September 5th, has arrived in Manzhouli, China’s northernmost city, after five days on the road. The motorcade will now officially move beyond the Chinese border.
The 18,000-kilometer Humanistic Envoy 2014- Asian-European Tour from China to France, one of the major events acknowledged by the two governments in celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, will pass through more than 30 cities across the Eurasian landmass, among them cities in China, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany and France. The GAC MOTOR GS5 was selected for this tour, and the individuals taking part in this cultural expedition include Chinese citizens from both sides of the Taiwan Straits as well as overseas Chinese resident in Malaysia, the United States as well as other countries.
The motorcade left from the starting gate on Maritime Silk Road, Guangzhou on August 31st, and is expected to arrive in Paris on October 13th in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France and in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. The motorcade will then continue on to Macau Tower, completing a long-distance “tri-tower” journey.
Manzhouli, China’s busiest land port of entry, also known as the Window of East Asia, is located in the heart of the Hulunbuir Grasslands of Inner Mongolia, bordering Mongolia to the west and Russia to the north. The city’s unique fame is the reason the motorcade chose it as the transit point for entering the next country of the tour.
Guangdong Chinese Community Cultural Association chairman Li Wei said, “The Asian-European Tour from China to France is a civic and diplomatic event that enables communication between cultures as a first step for creating a bridge for commerce and trade between economies. The numerous cities, all of which are well-known for their historical and cultural heritage, will be witnesses of the multicultural communication. At the same time, China is in the midst of creating the strategic concept of a New Silk Road Economic Belt, with this tour as a successful practice run.
The tour is a successor to the Long-distance Tour between Guangzhou and Lyon in 2002. At that time, the motorcade started off from Guangzhou and arrived in Lyon, the sister city, after 56 days of travel through 11 countries, covering a distance of 15,000 kilometers. For China, the tour in 2002 was a pioneer event in the concept of driving one’s own vehicle well beyond the borders of one’s own country.
Since the motorcade took off from Guangzhou on the 30th of August, the vehicles have already covered nearly 5,000 kilometers on roads of varying quality, from roads in excellent condition to bumpy roads badly in need of repair. As the first among China-based brands according to JD Power’s 2013 report, the GAC MOTOR GS5 has safeguarded the envoys along the entire route with its fantastic handling and passing ability as reflected by the 5-star rating that the vehicle obtained under the standards of China’s New Car Assessment Program. After traveling past Manzhouli and across the Eurasian landmass, the GAC MOTOR GS5 will be showcased at the 50th anniversary celebration of Sino-French diplomatic ties. As a representative of a China-based brand, what is even more exciting will be the driving of the GAC vehicle to the headquarters of both Mercedes-Benz and BMW in a move to stand head and shoulders with Europe’s most well-known car brands. This move will help GAC Motor take its rightful place in the international market after several years of successful expansion into Middle Eastern and South Asian markets, and its starring role in the globally released film Transformers 4 Age of Extinction. As the bodyguards of these envoys, GAC Motor is well on track to grabbing more attention and setting new expectations beyond its home country and home markets.
